DESCRIPTION: This is an amended proposal for research training in a new pre- doctoral training program in Infectious Diseases and Immunity that was established on the Berkeley campus of the University of California (UC) in 1997. The program is administered by the Graduate Group in Infectious Disease and Immunity that is comprised of fourteen faculty. Eight have primary appointments in the UC School of Public Health (SPH), three in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (Berkeley) and one each in the Departments of Optometry, Environmental Sciences, and Plant and Microbial Biology. The goal of the program is to produce a group of independent research scientists with a strong scholastic background in infectious diseases and a firm grounding in fundamental biochemical and molecular research methods. Students will be trained to design and implement independent investigations, focusing on infectious disease agents and their interactions with the human host. They also will be taught to implement medical and public health research agendas relevant to current infectious disease problems and are expected to be well- positioned to respond to emerging and re-emerging infectious disease